IAS Exam Best Books: History & Geography Subject Exam Guide

IAS Exam Best Books 2018: IAS Preparation has always been one hell of a challenge for a candidate, not because of the difficult syllabus (Somewhat difficult though) it covers but because of the wide range of topics one has to cover when it comes to the preparation. There are a plethora of books available in market these days for IAS preparation, which is confusing at least for someone who just started preparing for it. Questions like “What book to read?, Which book to follow for best results? Do I need to read more than one book on a single topic? Etc.”has been troubling candidates since the inception of this competitive culture.

The main aim of this article is to guide you to choose the Best Books for IAS Exam Preparation. If you have a doubt in your mind about what are the must-have books for IAS preparation? Or How can you crack IAS? This post will surely clear your doubts.

How to Select IAS Exam Best Books 2018

There are thousands of books which are available for IAS Exam, but most of them are not accurate or not containing the exact Content which UPSC need. UPSC Aspirants get confused with hundreds of books available for various topics.

Choosing the best study material for any exam becomes a tedious task. One must choose the study material for IAS Exam preparation wisely. While there are many factors that are taken into consideration for selecting the best books for IAS Exam, we recommend you to look for the following features:

1. Theory Chapters (Topic wise under Each Section): These chapters helps aspirants to learn and understand the concept that should be used to solve the Question related to that topic. Reading this enables the aspirant to initiate the thinking to conclude the answer.

2. Question Banks (Topic Wise): This will help aspirants in practicing every possible type of Questions that can be created from a particular Topic within a section.

3. Sectional and Full-Length Mock Test: This is an exact replica of the Examination as it contains a mixed pattern based set of Model Test that contains all type of Questions. Aspirants can use it for giving a Final touch to their preparation.

Once you look into these characteristics and segregate the key features, you will be able to choose IAS Exam Best Books. Now, let’s have a look at our recommended study material for History & Geography sections of our article on IAS Exam Best Books.

IAS Exam Best Books (History and Geography)

Here is a list of best books available these days for History and Geography section of the exam. Do no worries as we will definitely cover other topics as well in our next article.

IAS Exam Best Books: History

History (without any doubt) is the widest of all the sections one has to cover for IAS Preparation. One has to mug up Ancient, Medieval and Modern history to score well in the examination. So in a nutshell, is there any book that covers all these topics simultaneously? Sure there are such books but we highly recommend you to avoid those books and read these sections separately. Here are some of the best books available in the market for each topic:

Modern Indian History

1. History of Modern India by Bipan Chandra

The book is relatively concise when compared to books on the same topic by other authors. It captures the holistic view of not only struggle for independence but also the later Mughal period (post-Aurangzeb), the decline of central authority, rise of regional satraps and the domination of tribes from Afghanistan. Those who are preparing for Civil Services should definitely go through this book twice or thrice, especially as in the new pattern.

2. India’s Struggle for Independence by Bipin Chandra

India’s struggle for Independence by Bipin Chandra is your go-to book for an in-depth and detailed overview of Indian independence movement. It is one of the most accurate books which have been painstakingly written after thorough research based on legal and valid verbal and written sources.

3. Spectrum’s “A brief history of Modern India”

The book brings together various aspects of the turbulent period (from the arrival of the Europeans on Indian soil and the establishment of British rule in India to the day India won independence) in a systematic and succinct manner. The book will be of immense use for a candidate of the civil services examination at the Prelims and Mains levels.

Indian Medieval History

1. History of Medieval India by Satish Chandra

There are plenty of historical moments strung together to bring India where it is today. A slice of these events adds up to make this history book by Satish Chandra. The 1000 year period covered in this book details about the sequence of events and the empires that governed different parts of the country from the eighth to the eighteenth century. A feudal medieval India is presented within the social context of the times that is bound to interest even lay readers, besides students of history and those appearing for competitive examinations.

Medieval India: From Sultanat To The Mughals-Delhi Sultanat (1206-1526) – 1 explores the period from 1206 to 1526, in India and talks about the rulers of the time. It is a critique of the social, economic, and political condition of the people, from the medieval period of Indian history. Like all big things that come in small packages, this one has gems of important information adorned in simple English that is suitable for a wide audience.

Medieval India: From Sultanat To The Mughals- Mughal Empire (1526-1748) – 2 by Satish Chandra can be regarded as an authentic and comprehensive account of India’s medieval history. Holistically covering the historical aspects, from the period of the Delhi sultanate to that of the Mughal empire, the book rightly throws light into the social, cultural, architectural, political, religious, and economic patterns of medieval India.

Here is a list of best books available these days for Geography section of the exam.

IAS Exam Best Books: Geography

Geography is another wide section one has to cover if they wish to score well. It has a wide variety of sections as well. But we have found two books that pretty much covers all the topics and in a very concise manner.

1. Geography of India by Majid Husain

Majid Husain’s book “Geography of India” is a comprehensive book on the subject which is very popular amongst students preparing for various competitive examinations. The book covers almost all the topics of Indian Geography.

2. Goh Cheng Leong’s “Certificate Physical and Human Geography”

Be it climate change, types of natural vegetation, mountain chains, desserts, climatic patterns, glaciers, minerals or another natural phenomenon, Certificate Physical and Human Geography is a natural companion book to know and learn from. Elementary details of most topics that comprise of physical and human geography have been covered in an easy to understand language, with many photographs, illustrations, and maps offering a detailed explanation, wherever required.

Considering the above-mentioned factors, these were some overall recommended book for IAS examination.

IAS Prelims 2018 Ultimate Package

OnlineTyari’s IAS Prelims Ultimate Package has 40 tests.This Ultimate Package is totally based on the latest pattern of UPSC Prelims syllabus. Core emphasis is given on the fusion of Current Affairs with traditional topics of History, Geography, Polity, Economy, Science & Tech, Environment sectional Tests, and Current Affairs, GS Paper-1, CSAT Paper-2 are included in this Package. Every Mock test contains 100 Questions (Except CSAT Mock Test). Every question has detailed answer description.

We hope these IAS Exam Best Books gives you both direction as well as motivation to prepare in right manner. Let us know if you have any doubts or queries in the comments section below. All the Best for UPSC IAS Civil Services Examination 2018.